Have you ever thought that term papers were simply awful—dreary, painful, a waste of time and energy? They often are. So what happens? Can we do something about it?

Together, we’ve “grown” a pretty good process for digging into art at home, and explaining it in class. You’re seeing on your own, thinking out on the edge.

Can you write a term paper that works the same way? Yes, you can, but it takes some doing.

First, you need to do something that can be very hard—resist habit. It’s easy to slip into auto-pilot and produce that “book report” paper that’s so familiar—“What I found in the library,” rather than “What I figured out about ‘xyz’.”

Next, don’t be “distracted” by the process of managing text (mountains of it), sorting through piles of books, picking out what’s relevant, and fitting the snippets together in a smooth sequence, like some word puzzle.

You get so wrapped up in constructing the paper—gathering and sifting sources—that the thinking process gets lost.

Research is “searching,” finding answers to questions, solving problems. If you don’t head to the library already looking for answers—with your own plan—, the frantic hunt for sources can take over.

The Next Step

 

Let’s build on what we’re already doing. You have a topic, and some basic sources. Begin by sorting through things the same way you would for class— “Working on Your Own” handout.

Look at the artwork on your own first, study the texts. When you’re through, ask yourself, “What do I still not know? Are there things I simply can’t explain?”

Here’s where your term paper starts. These “missing pieces” are what you’re after. It’s the detective work—the research.